Angelo barely slept.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the faces outside the sickbay.
There had been something in those faces that he couldn't shake.
Not anger.
Not even fear.
Resignation.
People who had stopped believing that tomorrow would be better.
By morning, Angelo had made a decision.
He was going to find out exactly what was happening at the mine.
He dressed quickly and headed downstairs.
Maya was nowhere to be seen.
Sis Dolly was preparing breakfast.
"Where is Maya?"
The old woman glanced at him.
"Busy."
"Busy doing what?"
Sis Dolly smiled.
"She works hard, Master Angelo."
Angelo nodded.
He had noticed.
He ate quickly and left for the mine.
The compound was strangely quiet.
For the first time, there was no deafening machinery in the background.
Workers moved around in small groups, talking amongst themselves.
Some looked relieved.
Others looked worried.
Angelo spent the morning going through reports and inspecting the mine's records.
Production figures.
Worker attendance.
Medical reports.
Accident reports.
Deaths.
The numbers became increasingly disturbing.
He discovered that several illnesses had initially been classified as ordinary infections.
Others had been recorded as unexplained deaths.
Some reports were incomplete.
Others were missing entirely.
"Someone has been hiding this," Angelo muttered.
A knock came at the door.
Russell entered.
"Sir."
"Come in."
Russell placed a folder on the desk.
"I brought the medical records you requested."
Angelo opened it.
"Why are half these files incomplete?"
Russell sighed.
"I don't know."
"That's not good enough."
"I agree."
Angelo looked up.
"Do you?"
Russell met his eyes.
"I've been here a long time, Mr. Black. Long enough to know when something is wrong."
"Then tell me."
Russell hesitated.
"There's something else."
Angelo leaned back.
"What?"
"We've had problems with the workers reporting strange smells around some of the older tunnels."
"Chemical?"
"They don't know."
"Have samples been taken?"
"No."
Angelo closed the folder.
"Then we'll take some."
Russell nodded.
"I'll arrange it."
Angelo looked through the window.
The silent mine stretched across the valley.
He had come here expecting an easy job.
Instead, he had inherited a disaster.
And he had a feeling the disaster was much larger than the outbreak.
---
By late afternoon, Angelo returned to the boarding house.
He was exhausted.
He had spent the entire day thinking.
About the mine.
About the workers.
About his mother.
About Melissa.
And, increasingly, about Maya.
He hated that last part.
He didn't know her.
Yet somehow she had managed to occupy a space in his mind that he couldn't get rid of.
He changed his clothes and left the boarding house.
He needed air.
He needed something to take the edge off.
He found himself walking toward the centre of town.
A wooden sign hanging above a battered building caught his eye.
THE EAGLE'S BEAK
Music and laughter spilled through the open doorway.
Angelo entered.
The place was almost empty.
A young woman stood behind the bar.
He stopped.
Maya.
She looked completely different.
Her hair was loose.
Her smile was bright.
And there was a confidence in her posture that he had never seen at the boarding house.
She looked at him.
"Mr. Black."
"Do you work everywhere?"
She laughed.
"Apparently."
Angelo sat at the bar.
"What can I get you?"
"Whisky."
"What kind?"
"The strongest you've got."
Maya raised an eyebrow.
"Rough day?"
"You could say that."
She poured him a drink.
Angelo swallowed it in one gulp.
The whisky burned all the way down.
Maya stared.
"You're going to regret that."
"I already regret coming to this town."
She laughed.
"You're not from around here, are you?"
"Is it that obvious?"
"Very."
"How?"
"You look at everyone like they personally offended you."
Angelo almost smiled.
"Maybe they did."
Maya poured herself a glass of water.
"You know, South River isn't as bad as you think."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Then why do you work in a place like this?"
"Because people need money."
"And the boarding house?"
"Same reason."
Angelo studied her.
"You work two jobs?"
"Sometimes three."
"Why?"
She shrugged.
"Life costs money."
He looked at his glass.
For the first time, he wondered how different their lives really were.
Then a group of miners entered.
They recognized him immediately.
One of them raised his glass.
"To the boss!"
Several others laughed.
Angelo looked confused.
Maya leaned closer.
"They like you."
"Why?"
"You stopped the mine."
Angelo looked around.
The miners were smiling.
For the first time since arriving in South River, he saw something different in their faces.
Not hopelessness.
Relief.
He raised his glass.
"To tomorrow."
The miners cheered.
Angelo smiled.
Then Maya leaned across the bar.
"Just don't drink yourself unconscious tonight."
"I won't."
She laughed.
"You said that very confidently."
"I mean it."
Two hours later, Angelo was barely able to stand.
Maya stared at the empty bottle in front of him.
"I thought you weren't going to drink yourself unconscious."
Angelo looked at the bottle.
"I underestimated myself."
"You certainly did."
He tried to stand.
The room immediately began spinning.
Maya caught his arm.
"Easy."
"I've got it."
"You clearly don't."
She helped him toward the door.
The miners watched, laughing.
Angelo looked at them.
"Don't tell my mother."
Maya burst out laughing.
"I think she'll figure it out."
Outside, the cool night air hit him.
Angelo took one step.
Then another.
Then his legs gave way.
Maya caught him before he hit the ground.
She stared down at him.
"You really are trouble, Mr. Black."
Angelo looked up at her through half-closed eyes.
"Angelo."
"What?"
"My name."
Maya smiled.
"Fine."
She sighed and tried to lift him.
"Come on, Angelo."
Neither of them noticed the man standing across the street.
He watched Maya struggle to carry Angelo toward the boarding house.
Then he reached inside his coat.
And quietly took a photograph.